Bay Ridge stabbing leaves mom dead, son hurt; Husband charged

Sandra Bookman reports on a man accused of stabbing his wife to death in Bay Ridge. His 14-year-old son was also injured in the attack.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

BAY RIDGE (WABC) --

Police have charged a Brooklyn man in the fatal stabbing of his wife early Tuesday.

52-year old Hasan Rugova is charged with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Authorities were called to a six-story building on Marine Avenue and 95th Street in the Bay Ridge section shortly before 2:30 a.m.

Detectives say Rugova, the building's super, stabbed his wife, and then apparently intended to kill himself, but the couple's 14-year old son intervened.

"We believe that while trying to stab himself his children sought to interfere with that. During the course of that, that child was stabbed, also by the father," said NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.

The victim was 46-year old Gyltene Rugova, nicknamed Julia. She suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck.

Her son Abraham was found with a slash wound to the right forearm inside the apartment, and her husband had a stab wound to the stomach.

Both were taken to Lutheran Medical Center and are in stable condition.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the teen walked in to find his mother dead and his father stabbing himself in what is believed to be a murder suicide attempt.

An 11-year-old daughter was in the apartment at the time but did not witness the stabbing.

The couple also has two other children, a 19-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, who were not home at the time.

Police say the family has no history of domestic incidents, and the father only has one prior arrest.

"It's shocking news. I've been here for 10 years. They always seemed like a happy family, but you don't know what's behind every door, you know," said tenant Hesham Abdelrahman.

"She was happy, excited. she's opening her own business," said neighbor Mirsa Methadzovic.

That business, a pizzeria just blocks away at 4th Avenue and 96th Street, was set to have its grand opening Wednesday.